{"id":1510524,"date":"2026-10-29T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=features&#038;p=1510524"},"modified":"2026-10-29T15:54:51","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:54:51","slug":"tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/","title":{"rendered":"How Cesc Fabregas&#8217; Como are changing football"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Cesc Fabregas&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/como\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Como<\/a> sit 4th in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/competitions\/serie-a-2026-2027\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Serie A<\/a> after nine games played, five points off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/internazionale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Inter<\/a> in top spot.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Como have been catapulted into the limelight this season, competing in the Champions League for the first time in their history, recently hosting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/manchester-united\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Manchester United<\/a> and thumping them 4-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/add-squawka-to-your-google-news-feed\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner.webp\" alt=\"Add Squawka to your preferred sources on Google\" class=\"wp-image-1500527\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner.webp 1500w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-300x100.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-1024x341.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-768x256.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-400x133.webp 400w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-600x200.webp 600w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-180x60.webp 180w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-150x50.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/squawka-preferred-sources-google-banner-222x74.webp 222w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After finishing 4th in Serie A last season, Fabregas will be hoping to improve on that finish, while also looking to compete and manage the demands of European football this campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just nine games in, Como look to be managing pretty well, having only lost once in the league this season, while also winning two of their three Champions League matches so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>In this article, we&#8217;ll cover<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-rotations-and-connections\" data-level=\"2\">Rotations and connections<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-hive-mind\" data-level=\"2\">Hive mind<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-out-of-possession-principles\" data-level=\"2\">Out-of-possession principles<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-exciting-recruitment\" data-level=\"2\">Exciting recruitment<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-rotations-and-connections\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rotations and connections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked about why every player had options on the ball against Manchester United, Fabregas&#8217; response was clear&#8230; &#8220;relationships&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout his interview, Fabregas continued to allude to the fact that the future of football is relationships between players, referencing the distances between players being important to playing the type of football he wants his Como side to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1510621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-214x267.jpg 214w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-160x200.jpg 160w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-48x60.jpg 48w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-120x150.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23-59x74.jpg 59w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190322\/team_-pitch-5-stats-23.jpg 1620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fabregas also mentioned in the same interview that the positional game can become &#8220;mobile&#8221; in the right moments, which is exactly what his Como side have shown this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can be seen in the number of rotations Como are comfortable making, whether it&#8217;s Lucas Da Cunha and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/martin-baturina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Martin Baturina<\/a> coming inside to overload the centre, the full-backs pushing forward to provide width or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/luis-milla\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Luis Milla<\/a> dropping into left-back zones to release the left-back forwards and draw the opposition press. Each of these rotations forces the opposition to make a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Como initially build with the full-backs low, they are looking to stretch the block horizontally to open spaces to progress through the centre, but once these rotations start to take place, the aim is to drag the opposition markers into uncomfortable positions, baiting pressure and creating space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-1024x667.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1510717\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-1024x667.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-768x501.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-400x261.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-307x200.png 307w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-92x60.png 92w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-150x98.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration-114x74.png 114w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034003\/Como-in-possession-illustration.png 1318w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jlatacticsboard.com\/app\/tactics-board\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/jlatacticsboard.com\/app\/tactics-board\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Image via JLA Tactics Board<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fabregas&#8217; side look to drop midfielders to create an overload in the build-up and take control of games, but also to open space to eventually arrive into, with the Spanish coach wanting his side to move with purpose, not holding the ball for long periods without reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it is the network between players that Fabregas has built over the past few seasons at Como which allows them to play in this way with such ease, utilising third man combinations, creating overloads in all different areas of the pitch and using mobility to destabilise the opposition&#8217;s defensive plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-hive-mind\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hive mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fabregas&#8217; principles of play are clearly ingrained within the Como squad, with clear emphasis on proximity around the ball and the connections as mentioned in the previous section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is now Fabregas&#8217; third season in charge as the permanent head coach of Como, which is evident when watching the Italian outfit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/luis-enrique\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Luis Enrique<\/a> at PSG, who took charge a year before Fabregas did, Como have got progressively better over time, with the first season much more about laying the foundations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By building over time with a manager with specific principles of play, you are able to build synergies and connections throughout the pitch, an understanding of each player&#8217;s role and a collective understanding of certain details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can see this when watching Como: the distances between players, the timing of their movements to ensure each player has multiple passing options, the clarity with which they jump from a zonal defensive scheme into a man-oriented press. All of these details have been built through a clear style of play being ingrained into a group of players to form the collective approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-out-of-possession-principles\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Out-of-possession principles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it comes to how Como look to set up without the ball, they largely look to either sit in a 4-4-2 midblock or press from a 4-4-2 base shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From opposition goal kicks, Fabregas&#8217; side will press in a man-oriented fashion, with the two midfielders jumping up onto the opposition pivot and a central defender following a number 10 as they drop to find space between the lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"669\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-1024x669.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1510719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-1024x669.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-300x196.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-768x502.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-400x261.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-306x200.png 306w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-92x60.png 92w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-150x98.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession-113x74.png 113w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034344\/Como-out-of-possession.png 1319w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jlatacticsboard.com\/app\/tactics-board\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/jlatacticsboard.com\/app\/tactics-board\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Image via JLA Tactics Board<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the opposition have the ball in more settled phases of possession, Como will initially take up their 4-4-2 shape, looking to prevent easy central access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the ball is passed backwards, the press can jump into a more man-oriented press, with the strikers jumping to the opposition centre-backs, both midfielders then backing up the press following the opposition&#8217;s deeper midfielder and a centre-back stepping out to match up and make sure no one is free between the lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Fabregas&#8217; side also look to transition into their man-oriented approach when trapping teams down one side of the pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If they can successfully force play down one side, Como are happy to leave the &#8220;free&#8221; player on the opposite side of the pitch, which is often the far-sided full-back, with the far-side winger coming across as Como jump to the ball side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"667\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-1024x667.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1510720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-1024x667.png 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-300x195.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-768x500.png 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-400x261.png 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-307x200.png 307w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-92x60.png 92w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-150x98.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps-114x74.png 114w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/29034356\/Como-out-of-possession-traps.png 1319w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jlatacticsboard.com\/app\/tactics-board\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/jlatacticsboard.com\/app\/tactics-board\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Image via JLA Tactics Board<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their success largely comes down to a nice blend between their in-possession and out-of-possession ideas, having a good amount of control with the ball in order to limit their off-ball work, but also having the clarity in their decision making of when to go and when to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-exciting-recruitment\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exciting recruitment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along with an exciting manager, Como have been executing a transfer strategy which has seen them acquire a host of young talents, with clever squad additions mixed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two of the most talented players at Como are Nico Paz and Baturina, the former having signed on a permanent transfer this summer (despite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/real-madrid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Real Madrid<\/a> retaining a buy-back clause for the talented Argentine), and the latter having signed last season from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/dinamo-zagreb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dinamo Zagreb<\/a> for a fee of around \u00a317m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that is only the start of their endless pool of talent, with Jacobo Ramon also being signed from Real Madrid last season, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/assane-diao\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Assane Diao<\/a> and Jesus Rodriguez signing from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/real-betis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Real Betis<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/jayden-addai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jayden Addai<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/az\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AZ<\/a> Alkmaar, Maximo Perrone from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/manchester-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Manchester City<\/a>, Alex Valle from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barcelona<\/a>&#8230; the list goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1510623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-2048x1280.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-96x60.jpg 96w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-320x200.jpg 320w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-150x94.jpg 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28190735\/player_-vis-and-4-stat-comparison-24-118x74.jpg 118w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This summer, with their first year of European football awaiting them, Como had to be savvy with their business, looking to add squad depth to their ranks while also trusting the young talent they had already acquired to step up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few more experienced signings were made this summer, with Milla joining from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/getafe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Getafe<\/a>, who has proven to be an excellent addition so far, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/trevoh-chalobah\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trevoh Chalobah<\/a> was also acquired from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/chelsea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chelsea<\/a> and Alvaro Morata was signed on a permanent deal from AC Milan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other business included some clever loan deals, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/moise-kean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Moise Kean<\/a>, Yan Couto, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/samuele-ricci\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Samuele Ricci<\/a>, Robert Sanchez, Kaiki and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/players\/willy-kambwala\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Willy Kambwala<\/a> all joining on initial loan deals with either options or obligations to buy next summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How next summer looks in the recruitment department will likely depend on whether they qualify for the Champions League again, and with how they have started the season, many would expect that to be the case.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/champions-league-tips\/\"><strong>Champions League predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/champions-league-outright-odds-qualification\/\"><strong>Champions League outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cesc Fabregas&#8217; Como sit 4th in Serie A after nine games played, five points off Inter in top spot. Como have been catapulted into the limelight this season, competing in the Champions League for the first time in their history, recently hosting Manchester United and thumping them 4-1. After finishing 4th in Serie A last&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3107,"featured_media":1510525,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"features-category":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1510524","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.0 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Cesc Fabregas&#039; Como are changing football | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Cesc Fabregas&#039; Como are changing football\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cesc Fabregas&#8217; Como sit 4th in Serie A after nine games played, five points off Inter in top spot. Como have been catapulted into the limelight this season, competing in the Champions League for the first time in their history, recently hosting Manchester United and thumping them 4-1. After finishing 4th in Serie A last...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Squawka | EN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-29T15:54:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28170042\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@squawka\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Connor Holden\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/445e73decc43605cbf2878fdb0a67bcf\"},\"headline\":\"How Cesc Fabregas&#8217; Como are changing football\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-29T15:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-29T15:54:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1188,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/28170042\\\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"accessibilityFeature\":[\"tableOfContents\"]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/\",\"name\":\"How Cesc Fabregas' Como are changing football | Squawka | EN\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/28170042\\\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-29T15:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-29T15:54:51+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/28170042\\\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/media.squawka.com\\\/images\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/28170042\\\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707,\"caption\":\"3FYPMYP IPA90275309 - Cesc Fabregas (Head Coach of Como 1907) celebrates during the Torino FC vs. Como 1907 Italian Serie A soccer match in Turin, Italy, on October 27, 2026\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Squawka\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Features\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/features\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How Cesc Fabregas&#8217; Como are changing football\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Squawka | EN\",\"description\":\"Football News, Stats, and More...\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/445e73decc43605cbf2878fdb0a67bcf\",\"name\":\"Connor Holden\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/19f0aae21316096372d223b9cbb8526f48c45cc294944dbd0d9d2401147cf253?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/19f0aae21316096372d223b9cbb8526f48c45cc294944dbd0d9d2401147cf253?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/19f0aae21316096372d223b9cbb8526f48c45cc294944dbd0d9d2401147cf253?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Connor Holden\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.squawka.com\\\/en\\\/author\\\/connorholden\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Cesc Fabregas' Como are changing football | Squawka | EN","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Cesc Fabregas' Como are changing football","og_description":"Cesc Fabregas&#8217; Como sit 4th in Serie A after nine games played, five points off Inter in top spot. Como have been catapulted into the limelight this season, competing in the Champions League for the first time in their history, recently hosting Manchester United and thumping them 4-1. After finishing 4th in Serie A last...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/","og_site_name":"Squawka | EN","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SquawkaFootballNews\/","article_modified_time":"2026-10-29T15:54:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28170042\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@squawka","twitter_misc":{"Estimated reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/"},"author":{"name":"Connor Holden","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/445e73decc43605cbf2878fdb0a67bcf"},"headline":"How Cesc Fabregas&#8217; Como are changing football","datePublished":"2026-10-29T15:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-29T15:54:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/"},"wordCount":1188,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28170042\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg","inLanguage":"en-GB","accessibilityFeature":["tableOfContents"]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/","url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/","name":"How Cesc Fabregas' Como are changing football | Squawka | EN","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28170042\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2026-10-29T15:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-29T15:54:51+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28170042\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/10\/28170042\/CescFabregas271026_ID3FYPMYP-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707,"caption":"3FYPMYP IPA90275309 - Cesc Fabregas (Head Coach of Como 1907) celebrates during the Torino FC vs. Como 1907 Italian Serie A soccer match in Turin, Italy, on October 27, 2026"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/tactical-analysis-cesc-fabregas-como-changing-football\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Squawka","item":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Features","item":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How Cesc Fabregas&#8217; Como are changing football"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/","name":"Squawka | EN","description":"Football News, Stats, and More...","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/445e73decc43605cbf2878fdb0a67bcf","name":"Connor Holden","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19f0aae21316096372d223b9cbb8526f48c45cc294944dbd0d9d2401147cf253?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19f0aae21316096372d223b9cbb8526f48c45cc294944dbd0d9d2401147cf253?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/19f0aae21316096372d223b9cbb8526f48c45cc294944dbd0d9d2401147cf253?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Connor Holden"},"url":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/connorholden\/"}]}},"yoast_title":"","yoast_description":"","yoast_keyword":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1510524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/features"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3107"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1510524\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1511509,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/1510524\/revisions\/1511509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1510525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1510524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1510524"},{"taxonomy":"features-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features-category?post=1510524"},{"taxonomy":"squawka-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/squawka-category?post=1510524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}